ᴛʜʀᴏᴜɢʜ ᴛʜᴇ ꜰᴏᴜʀᴛʜ ᴡᴀʟʟ | ᴍᴀʀᴀᴜᴅᴇʀꜱ ᴇʀᴀ

xxvii. forgiveness

"You should change." Peter gave Callie her clothes.

They had gone far away from the people. Thanks to the dragon's massive and rare appearance, everyone's eyes were on it. No one even noticed the four teenagers jumping from it and running away as fast as they could.

"Thanks." Callie took her clothes. The boys were already resting with their backs facing her. So Callie changed with no suspicion of them peeking.

"I'm done," she said, brushing her hair away from the clothes. She only noticed then how long they grew. Well, how long had she been there? Weeks? Month? Callie forgot to count. Her mind was too occupied with something else to even remember how long she had been gone.

That made her wonder, had she also been gone to her real world as long as her stay there? If so, was her family looking for her? Or by all means, they forgot that they had an eldest daughter? She shook her head. She shouldn't think that way. They couldn't possibly do that. Her family loves her.

The boys turned around. She was finally in the clothes she was in before their stunt in the world's supposed safest place.

"We should rest," suggested Remus. "There's a forest nearby. We can set up camp and spend the night."

So they walked to the said forest. Regulus quickly jogged to Callie's side and accompanied her. Her eyes shot up to him when she noticed the presence. He only offered a quick, small smile that Callie returned.

James had the cup secured in his back. Though because Callie didn't know what side effects would it have, she kept a keen eye on James, looking back from time to time. Innocent James just kept waving back with a big smile.

After a few more minutes walk, trees began showing, creating a horizon and dividing nature from the busy streets of the Wizarding world. Callie had no idea how long they had been walking. She paid no mind and just followed Remus and Peter who were in the lead.

They pulled branches away that'd caught up to their hair and clothes. They finally got into the forest. It was much quieter where their footsteps were the only noise. The crunch of dead leaves and twigs under their weight and the birds caw above the clouds.

The group walked farther that the sun was at the top but the clouds and trees were shielding them from its heat. When they seemed to be in the middle of the woods, they set up camp. James, Sirius, and Regulus built the enchanted tent; Remus built fire nearby; Callie and Peter prepared some ingredients for their lunch. Much to her surprise, Peter was actually a good cook according to James.

Indeed he was. An hour later, they were enjoying a soup they made. The Marauders were by the tent, James and Sirius telling them the tale of their break-in. And Callie rested by the fire, warming herself albeit it was afternoon as she watched the four boys laugh.

A smile crawled upon her lips seeing them carefree. If only things could be like that every day. Every single waking day of their life. No problems, no dark wizards, no Horcruxes, no Voldemort. None of that. Just them. And Hogwarts, and Lily. If only...

"What are you thinking?" Regulus asked which snapped her out of her wishing trance. She didn't notice he walked to her and sat.

Callie forced a smile and turned to him. "Life."

He smiled too. "You seemed to think quite deeply about it."

"Yeah." She hugged her knees to her chest more and drank the soup.

Silence enveloped them for a moment. Both their eyes were everywhere else but not at each other. Callie was counting the ants walking to get a cube of carrots that fell from her bowl. Regulus was watching the leaves sway with the wind.